


Checkout

by rubyofkukundu



Category: Original Work
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-04-20
Updated: 2010-04-20
Packaged: 2017-12-07 04:34:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/744305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubyofkukundu/pseuds/rubyofkukundu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Toby hates it when they have a sale on.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Checkout

**Author's Note:**

> Written in 65 minutes for the prompt: Cheap.
> 
> Originally posted here: <http://petitte-soeur.livejournal.com/100214.html>

BEEP  
  
Toby hates it when they have a sale on.  
  
'Cheap! Cheap! Cheap!' say the posters, '50% off almost everything in store!'  
  
Which would be fine.  
  
If it didn't attract so many customers.  
  
BEEP  
  
The woman in blue buys a potted plant and a watering can.  
  
"Would you like a bag with that?"  
  
BEEP  
  
The line at the till is almost doubling back on itself and people keep joining the end.  
  
Toby has to try hard not to lose faith at the sight of it.  
  
He wishes he could stack shelves today, but on a sale day, it's all hands on deck.  
  
BEEP  
  
The teenaged girl buys a notepad and a roll-on deodorant.  
  
She talks on her phone the whole time, only stopping to rummage in her bag for the right money.  
  
BEEP  
  
Blah. Blah. Blah. Same old. Same old.  
  
BEEP  
  
The old couple have a basket full of toiletries.  
  
Shampoo on 2 for 1 offer.  
  
Toothpaste on 3 for 2.  
  
And a fucking mountain of soap.  
  
Seriously, are they buying soap for the next 10 years or something?  
  
BEEP  
  
Toby watches the clock on screen.  
  
He's been on shift for 20 minutes.  
  
Only another 3 hours and 40 minutes until his next break.  
  
Christ.  
  
BEEP  
  
The cute guy with the glasses buys a chopping board and a garlic crusher  
  
"Would you like your receipt in the bag?"  
  
What does a guy like that use a garlic crusher for? Surely not for crushing garlic.  
  
BEEP  
  
The old woman with the shaking hands buys a hand towel.  
  
She takes 7 minutes to count out her change.  
  
The people behind her in the queue are getting restless, but none of them want to tell an old lady to hurry the fuck up. It's just not done.  
  
BEEP  
  
Sarah arrives to start her shift and opens up the checkout opposite.  
  
She gives Toby a grin, and Toby mouths "thank you" as half his customers shuffle out of his line and into hers.  
  
BEEP  
  
"This is a staff announcement. Can all members of the cleaning team go to aisle 3. All members of the cleaning team to aisle 3."  
  
Toby doesn't even want to know what's happened over on aisle 3.  
  
Except he kinda does.  
  
Maybe 4 kids puked simultaneously.  
  
That'd be a sight and a half.  
  
BEEP  
  
The tall man who looks like Toby's uncle buys toilet bleach.  
  
'50% off and 50% extra free!'  
  
Does that make it 25% the normal price?  
  
33%?  
  
The man leaves without taking his receipt, before Toby can work out the answer.  
  
BEEP  
  
The cute guy with the glasses buys a set of wooden spoons.  
  
"Can you enter your pin please?"  
  
Wait...  
  
Has Toby served him before?  
  
But the guy has already picked up his bag with a smile and left.  
  
BEEP  
  
No matter how hard he cranes his neck, Toby can't see the guy once he goes round the corner.  
  
Had he served him before?  
  
The next lady is waiting to be served with an impatient look on her face.  
  
She coughs.  
  
Oh right.  
  
BEEP  
  
The fat man with his young son buy an electric drill and a chocolate bar.  
  
Toby amuses himself with the thought that the chocolate bar is for the man and the drill is for the son.  
  
Maybe they are. You never know.  
  
"Would you like your receipt in the bag?"  
  
BEEP  
  
Sarah is busy serving the guy who smells bad and comes in every Saturday.  
  
Good. That means Toby doesn't have to serve him today.  
  
But Sarah catches Toby chuckling at her misfortune and gives him _a look_.  
  
BEEP  
  
The short woman with her tall husband buy a pair of bright red curtains.  
  
Toby wonders if everything in their house is bright red to match.  
  
Like some kind of porn district.  
  
BEEP  
  
The cute guy with the glasses buys a set of measuring spoons. 'Reduced to clear – 80% off!'  
  
And now Toby knows that he's definitely served him already today.  
  
Toby looks at him. Should he mention it? Is it ok to mention it?  
  
Fuck it, Toby's going to say something anyway. "Keep forgetting stuff today?"  
  
The guy hands over his cash and laughs. "Something like that. I must look like a right idiot!"  
  
Toby shakes his head. The polite thing would be to say 'Of course not', except he does seem like a bit of an idiot.  
  
Seriously. Who has such a bad memory that they forget to buy something twice in a row?  
  
So Toby just chuckles and hopes that doesn't make him seem too rude.  
  
BEEP  
  
The large family buy two baskets full of stuff.  
  
It seems like they almost want to purchase the whole shop.  
  
Two of the kids argue the whole time.  
  
Toby thinks that if he was their parent, he'd give them a slap.  
  
Their parents don't give them a slap.  
  
The kids don't shut up.  
  
BEEP  
  
Sarah looks pretty worn out after the guy who smells bad and comes in every Saturday.  
  
Haha.  
  
She gets out a can of air-freshener and tries to spray it discreetly.  
  
BEEP  
  
The woman with the curly hair buys a mirror.  
  
"Can you check the amount and press enter, please."  
  
She doesn't smile once.  
  
Well fuck you too.  
  
BEEP  
  
Toby is almost out of bags. He'll have to keep an eye on that.  
  
BEEP  
  
The rich-looking couple buy a set of plates.  
  
'Four plates for the price of two!'  
  
Toby wraps them in paper and wonders if they will break on the way home.  
  
Would they blame him if that happened?  
  
BEEP  
  
The cute guy with the glasses buys a....  
  
Hold on.  
  
"You..."  
  
The guy grins. "So are you going to ask me out or am I going to have to go round again?"  
  
BEEP


End file.
